As we wait for the ICv2 numbers to be posted, a few other people have been commenting on the numbers of the comic industry. Stuart Moore's take on things tries to make a case for optimism, mostly based on the growth of the TPB/GN market, both in bookstores and out. And that makes some sense, based on Marvel's publically reported numbers and the growth of companies like Tokyopop. Make sure to scroll down to the comments (something I shudder to say) to be reminded that the supposed "flat" sales actually represent a decline since inflation has not been taken into account. This means that comics may be taking in the same amount of dollars they were 6 years ago but that represents a smaller share not only of the larger entertainment industry but a smaller share of comic fans' purchases.

And just in case you are still feeling OK about things, make sure to check out Neilalien's search for similarly-sized industries. He kindly doesn't mention that Sony sold $250 million worth of Playstation 2 boxes on the first day of its release. Overall, video games are about $10.2 billion per year (which includes $3.5 billion in hardware sales, if that makes you feel any better). The reason you can't find comparably sized industries? Because it isn't worth people's time to track anything so small if they do it for a living.

Which is why the rest of us are here.